Foreign Territory
by lifelesslyndsey
Summary: Perhaps it was karma, who could tell. I imprints on the girl and instead of sunshine and rainbows, I get kicked in the dick. How the hell do you work with that? Brooding Sam gets bubbly Emily, and I get a female version of me!" PaulxBella AU,LanguageM
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey yall! This is just a little peice I've been working on when I get writers block with Alpha Fail, as I have right now. I't will probably wrap up in less then five chapters, but it's a fun little piece with a rare Coupling of Bella and Paul. **

**On the note of Alpha Fail, I know I have no updated in a while. I am just having some problems wrapping up the story. There are only two more chapters left, and I want it to end on a perfect note, all loose ends tied up. It's harder then I thought it would be. But I promise you, Bella and Sam will reunite in the next posted chapter!**

**Also! I want to encourage you all to get yourself a twitter and add me. It's** lifelesslyndsey**. I regularly post updates and notes there about any and all of my ongoing stories, so if you want to know what's going on, that is a great place to look. **

**P.S. Since FF is doing a purge, a lovely lady by the name of **Magos186** has offered to beta all my old fics for me. I will be compiling them onto a Live Journal account which I shall name at a later date. So super props to Magos for saving my fics! **

**Bella POV**

" A whole month, Bella." Charlie reminded, offering a one armed half hug, "Sure you won't stay at Billy's."

I grumbled, "I'll be there constantly, but a girl needs her privacy." I sighed, "I'm almost nineteen!"

I knew why he wanted me to stay with Jacob. He was worried that my sanity wasn't quite in check, and he was probably right to worry. I questioned myself on a good day, and most days were bad. He wouldn't be leaving if he didn't need to, but as Chief, he was required to update his license, and times had changed that meant some new defense and technique courses at the Academy out side of Seattle. He would visit, but it was just easier for him to stay in Seattle during the duration of his course updates. In a way I didn't mind. I hated him seeing me like this.

I was such a mess.

"Bells..."I would have to cut him off quickly before he picked up speed and started ranting.

"I'll call you all the time. I love you , Old man. Now get to it, or you'll be late." I said with a sigh, shoving him into the car. Because he couldn't take the cruiser, he was commandeering my little blue Dodge Neon, leaving me car-less. My rusty red pick up has joined the great Car God in the sky.

"Be good! And keep in touch with your mother. And don't bug Billy and---"

"I'll call, dad. I promise. But the phone rings both ways." I called out, shutting his car door with a chuckle. Turned out that Charlie had a real mother hen streak. More so then my real mother, anyway.

"Oh, Bells?" Dad called out, through the window, as he continued to roll the bitch down. It was hard on the arm, I knew. "Billy is sending over some of the La Push boys to work on the house. They needed the work, and I figured, it couldn't hurt."

I glared. "Baby sitters."

"There fixing up the house, Bells." He replied innocently. "Couple times a week."

* * *

"Crap." Jacob muttered, turning on his heels. "Let's go Bells."

Looking up at his face, I saw nothing but anger. And it wasn't just his face, he was shaking with his fury. So unlike my Jacob, my sunshine, it seemed wrong, foreign. I hated it. "Jacob, what's wrong?"

"Uley." He muttered, not that it helped me much. What the hell was a Uley?" Sam Uley, and his little bitch friends Jarred and Paul. Looks like they finally got to Embry,too" He explained. "There goes another friend."

Sam Uley. Ah yes, he was the one who found me in the woods after....after I was left there. Beside him stood Embry. Except it wasn't the Embry I had met only months ago. This Embry was taller, wider, and well...huge. And he, like the rest of them, was staring.

"Come on Bells, let's go." Jacob muttered, his voice colored with slight panic. I had never seen him act this way, sound this way. Jacob was always carefree, and light. But...this Sam Uley, these over grown boys, they scared him. They scared my_ protector_.

Jacob was my sun, my whole damn solar system. He was my gravity, my glue, the reason I could breath. He held me together, and soothed the hurt. And now he was hurting, and felt the overwhelming urge to reciprocate. Now it was my turn, my turn to be his glue.

"Come on, Bells." He said more urgently, pulling me along the beach by my hand. But they way they looked at him, cold and calculating, I couldn't ignore it.

It _pissed_ me off.

"No." I said stiffly, shaking Jacobs hand off me. He looked at me, bewildered, as I spun around, staring straight at the group of giant fricken' Indians, who sure enough, were still staring not twenty feet behind us.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" I all but screamed. Jacob blanched, reaching to catch my hand as I stalked forward. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, the tall, tan one with no shirt." I said sarcastically, as they looked at each other, clearly confused. They were all tall, tan and shirt-less. Dumb asses.

Bringing myself just five feet in front of them, I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for my answer. They said nothing, so I asked again, staring each of them in the face, "I asked you what the fuck you were looking at."

**PaulPOV**

"He''s no where near as close as we were to phasing. She's keeping him too happy." Sam said, staring over at Jacob Black and the whitest girl I had ever seen.

Embry frowned, "Isn't that a good thing. I mean, isn't it better that he doesn't phase."

"Doesn't work like that. He'll phase, it's already began. He's grown half a foot this month, and Billy said he's temp is creeping up as well." Sam explained, throwing his arms over his chest. The Pack fell silent for a moment, as we listened from a distant.

"Uley." Jacob muttered, his voice full of contempt, "Sam Uley, and his little bitch friends Jarred and Paul. Looks like they finally got to Embry,too. There goes another friend."

I had to ignore the bitch comment as much as it pissed me off. I had hated Sam for a while myself when Jarred phased and he ordered him not to speak to me. It sucked balls. Now, I'm not one to dwell, but it did exacerbate some of my deep seeded abandonment issue. Embry looked guilty, even though it wasn't his fault. I'd call the kid a pussy, but he's just a nice guy.

"Come on Bells, let's go." Jacob groaned, pulling the little girl along the sand. She was staring back at us, her expression hard.

"Come on, Bells." Jacob repeated more urgently, tugging her hand. But she had halted, burying her heels in the sand, a look of resolve washing her face, as she narrowed her eyes at us, Sam specifically.

"No.'" She spat, ripping her hand out of his, and stalking toward us. "What the fuck are you looking at? Yeah, I'm talking to you, the tall, tan one with no shirt." She said, causing a moment of confusion before we realized we were all in fact, tall, tan and shirt-less. The tiny thing was fucking with us. She had balls, I'll give her that.

She stopped before us, staring at the ground, and tapping her foot like she was waiting for something. What could we say? This girl was fucking insane. Suddenly she looked up, staring Sam in the eyes, before turning to stare us all down individually. "I asked you what the fuck you were looking at."

Big brown eyes burned brightly, staring me down with such a fire I was surprised we all hadn't melted beneath her glare. I felt the ground shift beneath me, the world spinning around me in a blur, washing out everything that wasn't her, this ballsy little girl staring me down and cursing me out. My heart lurched forward, shaking me free of all things that once binded me. It was just her now, only her. It was cosmic realignment of my priorities. I stared at her hard, counting the freckles sprinkling her cheeks, taking in every thing that was her. Isabella Swan, the chiefs daughter. This was the extent of my knowledge about the girl who just altered my entire being. I told myself it wouldn't happen to me, that I wouldn't let it happen. That I would fight it. But...I didn't want to. I was perfectly content to be with her forever.

One little problem.

She clearly didn't like me.

"You," She snapped, waving her hand in my face, "Are you special? Did you hit your head? You have got to be the biggest idiot in this group. Staring at Jacob isn't enough? What the fuck are you looking at now?"

"You!" I blurted out, causing the my fellow pack brothers to now stare at _me._ Just fucking great. She thinks I'm retarded, and they think I'm crazy.

"Well then," She blushed, looking away from me, and up to Sam, "I'd like to think that your a good guy Sam, you did find me in the woods and all. But your pretty fucking creepy, with your little man-child gang you've got going on. Jacob doesn't want to be a part of your creepy half naked cult. Just back the fuck off."

Expletives fell from her perfect plump lips, and fuck me if it didn't turn me on a little. My dick gave a significant twitch of interest, and it was all I could do to inwardly curse the fucker for having a mind of it's own.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Isabella." Sam said, his voice as level and calm as ever. The man was impermeable, and I had to admire him for it.

"I don't care how it works. Your not taking my Jacob away." She hissed, glaring daggers at Sam. I was unable to stop myself from growling as she spat out the words _my_ Jacob.

"Did you just fucking growl at me? Holy Crow, boy! What the hell is wrong with you people?" She asked, raising a brow, "Like I said, Creepy. Ass. Cult."

"It's not like that, kitten." I said softly, staring at her like the love-struck fool that I was. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand, pulling her close to me, "We're not bad guys," I whispered, brushing the hair out of her face.

"Paul, or Jarred, whichever one you are, you need to get your hands off of me right now." She seethed, glaring up at me.

"Isabella, please, just listen to us. To me." I pleaded, while Sam looked at me like I grew another fucking head. I didn't blame him. I had no idea what I was saying, or doing. I just knew that I didn't want this girl to hate me, which she clearly fucking did. She paused for a moment, looking up at me, and I knew she was confused, feeling things she shouldn't. The imprint in all it's magnificent if not impossible glory.

She blinked, suddenly, shaking her head as if to dispel reason. "Get your hands off me, right now!" She repeated quietly.

"Now kitten...." I began to say, before I was hit with the cruelest pain known to man-kind. I may be a werewolf, but dammit, I am a man, and when she brought her knee up, I thought I was going to be sick. I dropped to my knees at once, cupping the family-jewels in pain and howling.

"I told you to get your hands off of me." She growled. She fucking growled like an angry little kitten. And all I could do was squeak awkwardly, pain coursing through my body as she stalked off.

When at last my body relaxed, and the spiteful little kitten was long gone, I looked up from the sand at my pack mates, "I imprint on her and she kicks me in the balls? What the fuck?"

Sam laughed, something that was hardly in his characters, "You imprinted on Bella Swan?" He asked, and all I could offer him was a sharp nod. "Jacobs going to love that."

~*~*~*~*~

Sam, Jarred and Embry had a good fucking laugh at my expense but I was faced with the reality that Jacob would be phasing soon, and he would be fucking pissed.

Leaving the Pack, I returned home with every intention of icing my abused ball sack. Seriously, who kicks in the nuts any more? Tiny angry kittens, that's who. I'd make damn sure I never pissed her off again, my nuts couldn't take the abuse that girl delivered. Jesus, I thought they were gonna implode with impact. Goddamit was she trying to break my dick off?

This wasn't good. This whole fucking situation sucked. Imprinting. Psh. _Suuucked._ I have to go and imprint on the crazy ass leech loving, ball kicking, angry kitten. Jacobs best fucking friend, who he was clearly quite in love with. And well, if that didn't piss me off, his handy-ass attitude did. They were _always_ fucking touching. Sam was a smart bastard to place the injunction that said I couldn't hurt him in any manner shape of form But he was also an ass-hat.

I'd have to talk to her, of course. Use some of the Paul White charm. Girls loved that shit, and I had the whole tall, dark and hansom thing going on. I'd like to think that it would be easy, but I wasn't starting out with the ball in my court. Oh no, she took fucking the ball, she took both of them when she kicked me in the junk.

But as my imprint, I could _tell_ her. I could tell her I was a fucking werewolf, and that her little buddy Jacob was headed in that direction as well. Maybe she wouldn't hate me so fucking much. Or maybe she would hate me more, it could really go either way.

I waited till Bella left, and Jacob was safely in his house before I hopped in my beat up Cutlass and floored it to Forks. Now I just had to pray her father wasn't home because I had no intentions of jumping on that ship yet. Daddies didn't like me as a rule, I didn't necessarily have the best reputation when it came to teen age girls.

But Bella....she was different.

She was mine. All mine.

I parked my car at the end of the road, walking towards her drive way. I couldn't help but stand there, staring down the yellow door I would eventually have to approach and knock on. The sun was setting in the back ground, twilight lingering upon us. Man the fuck up, Paul.

I sighed, sprinting towards the door, only to linger a moment. I could hear her shuffling around inside, the soft sigh of her breath.

I knocked, steeling myself for the wrath that was Bella. The door swung open, revealing my pissed of kitten, clad in tiny, tiny pajamas. _Me likey. _

"What the fuck do you want?" Bella asked through the screen door.

"Can we talk?" I breathed, feeling sick to my stomach at her blatant hostility. Billy had me under the impressions she was a meek little thing. How fucking wrong could he have been?

She narrowed her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest, pressing the sweet swell of each breast over the clingy baby blue tank top. She didn't have much going on up top, but it fit her body perfect. Just enough to bounce when she was riding on my c---

"Look. Jarred, Paul, again I am not sure which one you are, your really all the same, though, aren't you? How about Sam-clone? I have nothing to say to you, and and you have nothing to say that I would want to hear. So, save yourself the trouble, and leave."

"I'm Paul," I said, dejectedly. "Bella I just want to talk. I can tell you about Sam, and the guys. We aren't planning on fucking with Jacob, I swear, some shit is just inevitable."

Suddenly the screen door whipped open, narrowly missing my face. Bella stormed out, grabbing me by the front of my shirt, which I put on for her benefit. I needed the whole demure look. She yanked me forward with a surprising amount of delicate strength, so that I was level with her face.

"I'm going to make this simple, _Paul_."She drawled out my name like she was talking to a toddler, "The _only_ thing that is inevitable is another kick in the nuts. Leave me the fuck alone, and leave Jacob alone." She hissed, releasing me with a disgusted scoff.

"Bella, wait!"

"Get off my property before I call my father, _Police Chief Swan._" She said, before slamming the door in my face.

I obliged, returning to my car. How the hell was I going to make this work?

* * *

Sam was waiting on my front porch, looking stupid and smug. He chuckled at my obvious irritability, shaking his cropped hair. "How did it go?"

"Shut up." I muttered, jamming my key in the lock. I had no idea why I locked my door. La Push was safe from the mundane, robbers and the like. But I had grown up in the city, and the habit stuck with me.

"I guess you don't want to hear about the job Billy got you, then." He asked, following me into the living room. I tossed the keys on the table and began to rummage through the fridge.

"Give it to one of the other guys. You know I don't need the cash." I said off handily, wondering why he would even offer. I hardly ever took on jobs. Only when every one else was busy, or needed help.

Sam laughed, "If you insist. I just thought you'd be interested to know that Charlie Swan has us down for a months worth of work on his house."

My head perked up at this, cautious hope rising in my chest, "What's the catch?"

"No catch." Sam said, with a grin, "The works all pretty low key, Billy's got the list. He thinks Charlie just wanted some one to check up on your girl once in a while. Guess she's been depressed and shit."

"Over the leach." I said grimly, shutting the fridge, suddenly less hungry. "When do I start?"

"Give her a few days to calm the fuck down. I explained the situation to Billy. He's going to keep Jacob busy for a few days, away from Bella. That alone should piss him off enough to Phase. I have Embry on watch."

I nodded, liking this plan already. "And when Jacob phases, will you put up an injunction? Keep him from fucking with my game?" I had very little game to work with, I didn't need Black messing with it.

Sam grimaced, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know if I will be able to. Jacobs got more claim on Alpha then I do. If he wants it, it's his. Can't say I want to be talked down to by a sixteen year old runt, but we could be taking orders from him soon."

Well, isn't that just a sickening thought.

"Some one will have to explain imprinting as soon as he phases." I noted, "Maybe Emily? A girls perspective might help."

This time, Sam growled, clenching his fists. "I will not have a young, emotional werewolf around my Imprint during that conversation. If he can calm the fuck down, I might let her talk to him, but not alone."

"I see what you mean," I muttered, "Sorry. I wasn't being...insensitive or what ever. I didn't think."

"Your always insensitive," Sam chuckled, lightening significantly, "If you weren't, I'd be worried."

* * *

I approached the yellow door cautiously three days later. Billy had called up earlier and warned Bella some one would be dropping by today.

"I knew it would be you." She growled, wrenching open the door. I stepped inside, my eyes permanently fixated on her, as I set my battered red tool box on the floor. "I don't know what my dad has you doing, and I don't care. Leave me alone."

I lifted up the list, reading off the first job. "I'm installing a new porch light by the back door."

"Oh by all means, let me show you the door." She bit out, pointing to the front door. "See yourself out."

I sighed, weary. "I don't want to upset you, Bella." And I didn't. Knowing I was upsetting my imprint was making me physically fucking ill. I was ten seconds from spewing chunks, and my head hurt like a bitch.

"Then you should probably just leave." She said stiffly, looking pointedly towards the open door. She was so fucking mad, and I couldn't stand it. I folded the list, slipping it inside my back pocket.

"I'll have Billy send some one else over, then." I mumbled, pushing open the screen door. I sighed, feeling like a stupid fuck for even trying. I knew it would be like this, but it still fucking hurt. I couldn't even find it in myself to resent the imprint, because...well, just because I couldn't. If she would just give me the damned chance to phase....that'd be half the battle, wouldn't it.

"Wait." Bella said, grabbing my arm. My body burned where she touched, fire ripping through me, but sending chills up my spine at the same time. She gasped, ripping her hand away quickly. "You'd really leave?"

I nodded, "If you wanted me to, yeah. Like I said, I don't want to upset you. Jarred or Embry can come by and do this. I'd probably recommend Embry."

She sighed, shoulders slumping. "Charlie said you needed the money."

Uh. Shit. "I don't need it all that badly, really." That's not really a lie. I don't need it at all, but really, who couldn't use more money?

"Fine. Just stay. Leave me alone, do your work. Then go and give Billy a nice update on my mental stability so he can relay it to my father. Let him know I'm okay. Your just a well paid baby sitter."

"Are you okay?" I asked sincerely, grabbing up the tool box. Charlie had told Billy he had the new light fixture by the back door. "I mean, can't be lying to Billy, can we?"

She glared at me. "I'm fine."

And with that, she left me to my work. It was going to be a long month.

* * *

An hour later, just as I was finishing up the light, a loud _thunk _echoed in the hall, followed by an impressive stream of expletives. I dropped my wrench where I stood, racing back into the house.

"Holy fuck, are you okay?!" I gasped, helping Bella to her feet. It was obvious she had fallen down the stairs.

"I'm fine!" She spat, wrenching her arm away from me. I could see the tears welling in her eyes as she cradled her arm against her chest.

"Bella, I think you should go to a hospital." I said, swallowing back an onslaught of strange protective emotions welling up inside me. I was so use to caring about no one but myself, it felt strange to worry.

She breathed out slowly between her teeth. "Jacobs coming by later, he can take me."

"Jacob isn't coming by. He's in Mikado with his dad." I said, wondering why the fuck no one mentioned this to her. "No one called?"

"Phones dead." She muttered, pointing to the cell charging on the coffee table. "I'll wait till six. My friend Angela can take me when she gets off of work."

"Let me take you." I said at once, "It's only two. You can't wait four hours, you could make it worse."

She glared at me, "What do you care? You don't even know me!" Well ain't that the fucking truth. Why the fuck couldn't she see reason? You'd think she'd be grateful. I could just leave her here on the floor for four hours till she passes out in pain. What the fuck should I care? She doesn't want my help.

And yet, here I am being berated and bitched at, and taking it like a little pussy. I was seriously questioning the imprint, in that moment. I was under the impression it was suppose to all be rainbows and kittens. And kitten shitting rainbows. Cutesy fluffy lovey shit. Surely she could feel it, the draw, the pull, the irrational feelings of protectiveness and warmth. I sure as fuck did, and I was paying for it with my goddamn dignity. I didn't need to take this shit.

Except I did need to. And that irritated me.

"Listen. I realize that you hate Sam, and by proxy, me. But I haven't done shit to you, and I haven't done shit to Jacob, so just fucking cool it. Get your goddamn jacket and get in the fucking car. "I grabbed her purse off the coffee table, "I'm not going to leave you here in pain, with a probably broken arm, so you can walk your ass to the car, or I can carry you."

She huffed, grabbing her jacket off the hook behind the door. I set it over her shoulders carefully, and closed the door behind us. "You don't have to be a fucking jerk." She muttered, sliding into my passenger seat. At least I got her in the fucking car without to much drama. I had a fucking head ache. Imprinting was suppose to be magical and shit, followed by crazy wolf sex. This shit was just a pain. My imprint hated me, and was hurt. I wanted to puke.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." I said calmly, as we pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. "Your just stressing me out."

She wrinkled her nose in distaste before blowing a strand of hair out of her face, "Well, I guess I don't need to be a total bitch to you." She acceded, "But I still don't fucking like you, or your creepy little man-child cult."

"Fair enough." I sighed. "We're not a cult. And I'll prove it to you, just as soon as your ready. As soon as you don't hate me." I hadn't given it much thought, fully planning on phasing as soon as she gave me the chance. But thinking about it now, it would probably be better if she didn't see me as a creepy psychopath cult member before I add giant monster to the list. I'd have to make her see that I was an okay guy.

She turned her nose up at me, "Well you may never get the chance then."

"Knock off the bitch act, I know your hurting and you want to cry." I said, glaring down at her. "You don't need to pretend with me. You want to act like a big girl, kitten, you go right a head, but you save that shit for some one who will buy it. Your just a scared little girl, get the fuck over yourself." I said calmly, wondering how it was possible that I could talk to her like that at all. Wasn't I suppose to cave to her every whim?

She stared up at me with her big brown eyes, lashes rimmed with pained tears. "You don't know me." She said darkly, "You wouldn't know if I was pretending."

Well. I'm not the most emotional of men, and I'm not good with sentimental bull shit, but I knew a moment when it happened. And we were having A Moment. Deserving of capital letters.

"Bella." I began, unsure of how to continue. " I know it hurts. I know you want to cry and fall apart but refuse to. And that's fine. There is nothing wrong with a strong women. But you'll never have to pretend with me." My words were spoken out of context, pertaining to both her arm, and something else entirely. She could take them how she liked.

She said nothing as she popped open the door, and walked toward the entrance. I grabbed her purse, frowning. I was carrying her goddamn purse. I was Paul fucking White, and I was carrying her purse like a little bitch boy. This might have been okay if I was sticking it to her, but I wasn't. I was carrying her goddamn purse and wasn't even getting ass. At least it wasn't pink, glittery or fluffy I guess. If it was, I'd leave that shit in the car.

"Oh Bella, what did you do now?" A triage nurse asked, as we walked in. "The private room is empty. Dr. Snow is in, I'll see if he's busy. I'll grab your chart. You go get a gown on. You know where they are. "

"Thank you Debbie." Bella said, stepping back behind the the double doors, towards closed room off tot he side. I followed her patiently like an obedient dog.

"Don't you need to fill out charts or something?" I asked, after she had stepped out of the little bathroom, wearing one of those flimsy blue dressing gowns. It fell just above her knee, draping over her body loosely.

She just laughed, "They don't need a chart for me." She said, without further explanation. She hopped up on the examination table, swinging her feet back and forth, "If I ask you to go sit in the waiting room, you'll refuse, won't you?" She asked, eyeing me carefully.

I flopped down in one of the black plastic chairs, "Absolutely." I replied, stretching out my legs. "Your pretty familiar with the staff. I've never seen any one wait so little at an Emergency room." Or not wait at all, rather.

She waved her hand flippantly, "I'm here a lot. They call this the Bella-Room. Being Chiefs Swans daughter has it's perks too, I guess. They always put me right through."

"You've been in a lot of accidents?" I asked, feeling my chest clench. I didn't like the idea of her hurt, and on what seemed like a regular basis.

She shrugged, wincing slightly, "I'm accident prone. Clumsy, I guess. My first week in Forks, I was nearly crushed by a van." Something in her expression fell, and she wrapped her good arm around her chest, looking down into her lap. "Nearly."

Dr. Snow stepped in at that moment, breaking the tension in the room. "Goodness Bella. What have you done now?"

She offered the Doctor a smile, "I fell down the stairs again."

Again!? What the fuck does she mean by _again_. Is this a regular thing for her?

"Bet your missing Carlisle right now, aren't you?" He asked, not noting Bella choke back a gasp. "Well, let's take a look at your arm."

She proffered the injured party, and he probed at it carefully, "Hmm. Those stich scars aren't mine." He noted, tracing his finger along a long scar on her fore arm.

Bella looked away pointedly, "No. stitched those on my birthday. He had everything at his house, it didn't make sense to drive up to the hospital."

Dr. Snow chuckled, "No. Dr. Cullen was always prepared wasn't he? We were sad to see him go." I watched Bella's throat as she swallowed hard, her body trembling. Fucking leeches. She loved them, and it made me feel sick.

After he was done poking and prodding, the insensitive prick of a doctor lead Bella to x-ray, and then back to the waiting room, ignoring my presence entirely along the way. Bella picked out her cast, green, and held out her arm carefully. "I'll give you something for the pain," He explained, holding up a long needle. I flinched.

"Aw. Is Sammy's wittle lacky afraid of needles?" Bella sneered, glaring at me. How anything so small could be so hateful, I would never fucking know. I prayed to all my dead ancestors she didn't stay a bitch, I didn't want to get stuck with a total cunt forever. We were suppose to be compatible, like puzzle pieces. I mean, sure, I am a total dick, but wasn't I suppose to get something sweet and gentle to even me out? Dark and broody Sam got bright and bubbly Emily. I got a female version of me. I now understood why so many people couldn't stand me.

"I'm not afraid of needles." I retorted, fighting back a growl. She was pissing me off. "And I'm not Sam's lackey."

"That's an interesting scar," Dr. Snow said, once again dispersing the tension. He slid his glasses onto his nose, holding her wrist up to his face, "Looks like a bite mark."

"What?" I asked sharply, my head snapping up. Sure enough, I caught the faint silver lining on her wrist in the shape of two cresants. Bella squeaked, turning her arm over with a painful gasp, momentarily forgetting her injury apparently.

"It isn't. It's nothing." She said at once. "Let's get this cast on."

Dr. Snow finished up, writing Bella a prescription for the pain, and handing it to her. "You''ll do good to eat when you get home, and get some rest."

The car ride to her house was quiet. I was seething, and she was moping. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. How? How had she been bitten, and still have a pulse? Those Cullen bastards broke the treaty! They bit a human. It made me wonder if that was why they up and fucking bolted, like little pussies. Tails between there legs.

"How?" I asked abruptly. She looked up at me with confused eyes, offering nothing in reply. True, I was spouting out shit she wouldn't understand, but I couldn't fucking help it. "How? How do you have a pulse? Which one fucking bit you? They broke the fucking treaty, Bella!"

She balled her hand into a fist, her teeth clenching. "I don't know what your talking about." She grounded out, closing her eyes tightly. "Just take me home."

I slammed on the breaks, pulling over to the side of the road. "Not until you tell me. Which one of those goddamn leaches bit you?"

"None of them!" She spat, vehemently. "It wasn't them. The Cullens, I mean." She whispered this time, big fat tears rolling down her face.

Fuck. I made her cry. I made her fucking cry. I'm aces at this shit apparently. I was under the impression that imprinting was instinctual. All I'd managed to do was make my imprint yell at me, hate me, and cry. Oh, and kick me in the dick. Great. Fucking great.

"Then who?" I asked, some what more gently, save for the fact that I wanted to phase and tear things apart. Not yet, I reminded myself, not yet. "It it wasn't the Cullen Coven, then who?"

She wouldn't look at me, as she spoke softly, her voice barely a broken fucking whisper. This shit really tore her up, apparently. "The nomads, the ones who came through Forks last year, tearing up the place. They blamed it on animal attacks. One of them chased me all the way to Phoenix. Eh...The Cullens saved me. They sucked the venom out, and killed the vam...the one that bit me."

She couldn't even say Vampire. Couldn't even say it, without falling apart.

"I didn't know they could do that." I muttered, "How did they manage not to kill you? I mean...which ever one did it, must have drank your blood."

She shrugged. "He said it was hard but...he loved me. He couldn't...do that." She murmured. "I can't...don't ask me any more. I don't know why you know...but I can't."

"Okay." I acceded. "Not today. But Bella, I will ask. And you will tell me. And I'll have...answers for you. I bet you have questions. I won't answer them until you answer me."

She sniffed. "Fair enough. I still hate you."

The reply was so childish, I had to laugh. "That's fine. Go right ahead. I'll be by tomorrow to install a hand rail on your goddamn mother fucking stair case."

To that she laughed. "I don't know how you can be so nice to me, when I'm a total bitch to you. Jacob said you were a jerk."

To that I scowled, feeling the full force of Sams don't-hurt-Jacob injunction. "Yeah, well Jacob is a liar."

"Jacob is my best friend." Bella bit back, rounding on me on the front steps of her house. "He's been there for me through everything. And I intend to be there for him." Her hands trembled as she attempted to unlock the door, the weight of the medication hitting her hard.

"Best friend?" I asked, gently taking the keys from her hand, and unlocking the door. "You look a lot closer then best friends to me. Or do all your friends play grab ass with you?"

She glowered, riffling through her cupboards as I stepped into the kitchen, "He's just my friend." She said stiffly, pulling down a box of Pop Tarts. She struggled with the packaging before thrusting them at me in silent demand. "I hate you so much right now."

I laughed, handing her back the open package. "Go ahead and hate me, you little invalid. Imagine if you had broken your leg."

She bit her lip, frowning, her casted arm tucked tightly against her ribs. "He broke my leg."

"Who broke your leg?" I growled, feeling my body tremble. Had the Cullens hurt her? The Edward boy, the boyfriend?

"The Vampire that bit me. His name was James. He broke my leg. Snapped it like it was nothing but a twig." Her voice was soft, as if she were some where else entirely.

"And where was your precious boyfriend when you were being beaten by a leach?" I snarled, more angry at the Cullens then I was Bella. She winced, taking a step away from me. The display of fear stopped me short, and I felt my insides clench. I had scared her.

"He was on his way." She said defensively, "He saved me."

"And then he left you in the woods to die." I snapped, "How did you get so caught up with them? You knew! You knew what they were. You knew they were monsters!"

She slammed her half eaten pop tart on the counter, causing the pastry to break, red goo sticking to her fist. "You don't know anything! They didn't kill people! They were good! Every one deserved a chance!"

I sighed. If I objected, I was nothing more then a hypocrite. "Maybe your right. But they still left you." She was shaking now, trembling, trying not to cry.

"I know." She whispered, leaning heavily on the counter. "Fuck, I don't feel so good."

"You didn't eat much." I said, looking pointedly at the abandoned pop tart.

"Jacob was suppose to take me shopping." She said dully, yawning. "I'll have to call Angela. Why am I even telling you all this? You don't care."

I groaned, "Shut up. Did I not just sit in the hospital for two hours, and listen to you berate and yell at me. You know what? Jacob didn't lie. I am a fucking jerk. I'm a complete and total ass hole actually. And I have anger issues. But I wasn't going to leave you with a broken fucking arm. Just like I'm not going to leave now until I know your okay. Your all alone here, and you could obviously use some help."

"Yeah, well I didn't ask you." She snapped. "I'm going to bed!" She made to walk around me, swaying where she stood. "Fuck."

I pressed my hand against her back, knocking her knees out from beneath her with my other hand, and hauling her up into my arms. "Let's just skip the part where you bitch and moan, and refuse to let me help you, yeah? Where's your room?"

Glaring daggers at me, she let her head fall against my chest, no doubt feeling the full effects of the imprint, in combination to the drugs. The sense of protection, the comfort, the ease, and that smooth medial high that only a good shot of liquid Vicodin can bring. "Upstairs," She mumbled, "First door you see."

"Good." I said, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge for her, as well as the rest of her pop tart. She refused to look at me, remaining silent as I carried her to her room. I dropped her onto her bed unceremoniously, careful of her arm.

"Oomph!" She huffed, falling back onto the mattress. I set her water and food on the bed side table and headed for the door.

"I'd ask you if you needed help getting dressed, but your already in your pajamas." I said sarcastically, "Or should I say _still_ in your pajamas? Would you like me to leave that out when I give Billy the status report?"

She ripped up the covers of her unmade bed, "It doesn't mean anything. I hadn't gotten dressed yet."

I scoffed. "You had just woke up. I got here at one."

"So fucking what!" She snapped, "Why do you fucking care? So what if I'm a little sad? So what if I miss them? What is it to you? I don't fucking know you, and you don't know me! And no matter what you do know, you certainly didn't know _them_."

"I just do, okay!" I yelled, wincing when she cringed. "I do. It's one of the questions you can ask me, when your ready to answer mine. Your not a little sad, Bella. Your depressed. It's been months. He's gone. There gone. And there not coming back. And when your ready to get over it, let me know."

"Why?" She asked, "Your the last person I would ever come to. I don't know you. Besides the day at the beach, this is the first time I have ever really talked to you. Why would I ever come to you with my problems. I have Jacob for that." Her finishing shot stung. Jacob. Fucking Jacob.

"And where's Jacob now?" I sneered. "That's right. He's not here. But I am."

"Go away." She said feebly, hiding underneath the blankets.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella." I chuckled.

"Fuck off."

Still smiling, I sighed. This was foreign territory, but I loved a good challenge.

* * *

**A/N I'm not normally a lover of super bitchy Bella, but I think it works for her. She doesn't need a man to tell her what to do, like Edward, but she needs a man who won't treat her like she's made of glass. And that's good, because that's the last thing Paul would fucking do. He ain't got the time or the patience to deal with broken hearts, so buck the fuck up Bella, and quit acting like a bitch. **


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N Alright, I bring you 10,00 words of Bella and Paul. Like I said, this story isn't going to be terribly long. It's more or less how Paul tells Bella he's a werewolf. This is unbeta'd and probably a little rough. I may come back and re-post it later. Hope you like. **

**Oh, and I own nothing. All props to Stephanie Meyer!**

**-Lyndsey**

I shut Bella's bedroom door with an audible click, descending the stairs silently. My shoulders felt heavy with an intangible burden, the heady weight of imprint. Had I imprinted on a Quillette native, who had known me, and our culture, this might have gone smoother. I'd cop a feel and hint at a few legends, phase wolf, and call it a day. We could skip the relationship-semantics because of the whole soul-mate surety and go straight to fucking like bunnies.

But no. I'm the main sponsor at Vampire Advocates Anonymous, with the biggest Vampire sympathizer of them all, who hates me with a vengeance. This had to be some sort of karmic retribution for all the shitty things I had done in the past, because fuck if I wasn't paying for it big time.

It left me wondering at the nature of imprinting. Sure, I had the all encompassing urge to protect and provide, but beyond that and her tight ass, Bella annoyed the fuck out of me. I could attest to a little well-put rage here and there, and a tantrum or two, but the blatant hostility wasn't fucking flying with me. I was in this for life, and I sure as fuck wasn't going to lay down, roll over, and take it up the ass from a chick who didn't even come eye level to my nipples..

But if it took one to know one, it also took one to break one. I was as big a dick as Bella was a bitch, and I could give as good as I got. I'd no need to tell her what to do, or control her, I liked my women feisty, and I loved a good fight. Nothing gets the blood flowing like an all out scream-match. I could almost in-vision the make-up sex now. Yes....if only we could skip to that.

I grabbed my keys up off the table, pausing to grab Bella's prescription as well. Whipped. I was fucking whipped. But that didn't mean I was going to take her shit lightly. I'd need to talk to Billy more, and figure out how to go about taming the fucking shrew.

I returned in the morning with coffee. The only thing better then coffee in the morning was sex in the morning, and since I couldn't have both, I figured I'd share in the one. Coffee made things better. I'm a simple man who likes simple things. Food. Coffee. Sex. In various orders and degrees.

Bella was in the kitchen grumbling on the phone when I knocked on the door. I could hear her feet tap against the ceramic tile in agitation, and the heavy off of her breath as she sighed dramatically.

"I have to go Angela._ Someone's_ at the door." I heard the beep-_snick_ of her phone closing, and waited as patiently for her to take her sweet fucking time to march through the living room and unlock the goddamn door.

"You are such an ass hole." She snapped in way of greeting, allowing me so graciously into her home with a theatric little sweep of her un-casted arm.

"Yeah, well you look like shit." I noted with a grin. Well, if she was going to be a bitch, I'd give a reason to. And she did look like shit. Her hair was a mess, and her make up was smeared, and she looked like she could really use a shower. She was still beautiful, of course, in a way I had never fully appreciated before. I had not, until yesterday, understood the draw of a Girl Next Door type. The all American beauty. And blah blah blah, but she had it, and she was _beautiful. _Not hot, or sexy, but mind boggling beautiful that makes you sit down and shut up just so you can look at her.

She glared weakly, subtly eying my proffering. The smell of coffee invaded the living room, heavy and warm against the pacific wind, to strong to ignore.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was the fifties. Here, let me go find my petticoat and frilly apron and I'll get back in the kitchen where I belong and make you some fucking lemonade and a sandwich . I didn't know I had to get all dolled up for some ass hole to come fix shit in my house. For your information, I'm left handed." She nearly grunted, lifting up the yellow cast. "Makes things hard to do."

She huffed once more, throwing her good hand on her arm with an daring look, as if she expected me to retort with some witty and clever remark. And really, I wanted to. I wanted to say _'Roast beef on rye, and make it a beer' _followed by a slap on her ass, but I didn't. Because more then that, I wanted to make sure she was okay. It was an irritating little feeling in my gut, a small ball of panic desperately nagging at me to see that all her needs are met.

Clutching her by the elbow, I gently guided her to the kitchen, ignoring her protests and bouts of profanity. "Clingy plastic stuff?" I asked looking pointedly around the kitchen.

She glared deeper, pointing to the drawer beside the fridge. I wordlessly freed the box, unwrapping a good length of the stuff, and secured it around her proffered arm. I had to admit, she was surprisingly silent, and it was a good change from yesterdays bitch. As long as she didn't end up being bi-polar or something. Though, a fair amount of her blatant hostility was being poured into her glare, which would no doubt burn a lesser man, but I was Paul White, and the kitten didn't scare me. Unless her knee was aimed on my man-berries.

Wrapping her cast tightly, I patter her on the head in the most condescending way I could manage, and laughed. "Now, go take a shower. You kind of stink. And get dressed, kitten, no pajamas. We're going out. You need food in this goddamn house, and I need to go to the hard ware store anyway to get the shit to install a damn hand rail. Hop to it, you little invalid." It took everything I had in me not to smack her on the ass as she stomped off towards the stairs in a little huff.

I wondered what it was that had her silent, but refused to dwell on it overly long. It was the imprint, no doubt, conflicting her. She was wondering why I cared, why I bothered to help her. She wanted to be a bitch to me, but part of her told herself that she didn't. I imagined it was pretty fucking confusing, and spared a moment of pity for her. And when the moment passed, and passed quickly, I decided it was time to get Bella back to her old self. Who ever that was, I didn't know the girl, did I? Because really, she was pretty fucking funny, but I didn't much appreciate that wit directed at me.

But I knew she wasn't a blatantly hostile bitch, from what Billy said, but a laid back girl with a quick sense of humor. But a seriously sharp temper. Couldn't imprint before the leech could I? No I get the broken Bella, all depressed and irritating. I had no doubt she'd test my admittedly limited patience at every fucking turn or twitch. And I'd get her off her ass and out the door, so she could forget the damn leech and live her fucking life.

It was good to have goals.

She stumbled down the stairs half an hour later, wet hair tossed into a messy pony tail, wearing jeans and plain white t-shirt. The clingy stuff was gone, and she had her purse tossed over her shoulder. "Well."

"So nice of you to grace me with your presence Ice Princess. Jeans? And here I was promised a petticoat. I'll settle for the frilly apron later if that's all you'll be wearing." She didn't take the bait, so I pressed on, "What happened to the bitch act?" I asked, handing her a coffee, and her prescription.

She stared at the white pharmacy back, toying with a tear in the paper. "Well since you asked me so nicely not to pretend." She grumbled, pulling the little orange bottle from the bag and dropping it in her purse. "Though, it's a lot easier to be mean to you then it is to be nice."

"You're being nice?" I asked, nudging her out the door.

I watched as she clenched and unclenched her hands into tight fists, struggling to reign in her temper. She took a deep calming breath. "Okay," She said slowly, "It seems, _Paul_, that you made mention of my less then hospitable welcome into my home, as well as in accepting your...._help _to Billy. And he saw fit to call my father. So thank you, for that, it was a great way to wake up. If this isn't nice enough for you, you mother fucking piece of shit, you can go suck your little cult leaders cock."

Something, and if I was being honest, it was my _feelings,_ burned. Hurt. Something, I don't really know, my chest felt weird in the _did-I-disappointed -you_ kind of way I use to get with my father. I felt a little fucking guilty. I hadn't ratter her out with any intentions of getting her in trouble with the Chief. "Jesus. I...I didn't go running my mouth to Billy to get you in trouble, Bella. I just...well, I wasn't sure how to deal with you."

She huffed, "No one said you needed to deal with me, now did they? No one appointed you Bella's Keeper. No one said you needed to take me to the hospital, or pick up my prescription. So, really, if you can't take the heat, Paul, then back the fuck off. I didn't ask you for help. Jacob---" Her voice caught, and she stared at her lap.

Ah yes. Jacob. Jacob had phased. And he was really fucking pissed with Bella. There wasn't even a need to keep the boy busy, he didn't want to see her. He, like the rest of us, blamed our sudden fur and paws condition on the leeches. And there she was, crying over them for months. In his eyes, she was little more then a traitor.

"Jacobs an idiot." I said as gently as I could manage. And he was, too. Bella didn't know that the leeches caused our change. Fuck, the leeches didn't even know that. If he was mad at her for not judging them, then he really couldn't expect her to every understand us.

She looked over at me from her passenger seat for the first time, "Sam got him, didn't he? That's why he won't talk to me, or take my calls. He's in your little cult thing now, isn't he?"

Exasperated, I sighed, "For the last time, it's not a fucking cult. And yes, in a way, Sam did get him. But he's helping him Bella. And blame it on who you want, Jacob isn't taking your calls because he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to talk to you, or see you, or anything. And he's a fucking idiot because of it."

She bit her lip hard, and I wondered if I was being a little to harsh. "What did I do?" She asked, her voice breaking a little, and for a moment I was sure she was going to cry. The only time I ever had to deal with crying girls was when I broke up with them, and at that point, it was all a matter of getting out of there as fast as I could. "Why? Why won't he talk to me?"

"Nothing." I paused, "Well, nothing you knew better for, anyway. I won't tell you anything, till you answer my questions."

She steeled herself, no tears falling, "What questions?" She snapped, looking out the window now, as we zipped through Forks.

"What made them leave? What made them leave you in the woods like that?" She hissed through her teeth, tucking her arms under her breast, and hugging herself tightly. I could tell she was in pain, that these subjects were clearly off limits. But sometimes it has to hurt before it can feel better, right, "How did you get in with them?"

"I...." She opened her mouth, once more, before snapping it close with a shake of her head, "I can't talk about them."

"Then I can't answer your questions, Bella." I turned into the parking lot of the grocery store, "And I'm not being difficult. Our...the answers are more closely tide then you think."

"If you know the answers to your questions, why ask them?" She asked genuinely. "And how do you know about the Cullens?"

"You answer my questions, and I'll answer yours." I said simply, turning of the engine. Really, there was only one answer. Werewolf.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You can't live off Pop Tarts." I growled, "Seriously."

She sighed, "_Seriously_," She said in a mocking tone, "You are not my fucking Keeper, and I will eat what ever I want."

_Oh, but Bella, I am your keeper. _ "From what Billy said, your a decent cook. Why live off pop tarts."

She spun on her heels, dropping a second box of strawberry pop tarts into the cart, "What the fuck, Paul? Did you get a debriefing of my life from Billy?" Yes, yes I did. But that's really besides the point. "For your information, it isn't as easy to cook for one. To many left overs."

Left overs. What the hell were those?

"Yeah, but....Pop Tarts? That can't be healthy. Your too thin." I said before I could shut my mouth. Even I knew better then to bring up a girls weight. It was the Does-This-Make-Me-Look-Fat Rule. The only answer was _'you're perfect.'_ Even if her ass did look like a watermelon in those jeans.

Bella's mouth dropped open, "I am not to thin!" She said, incredulous. "I'm...just shut up okay. If I buy fruit or something, will you drop the fucking subject. Not that you have any right to care what the fuck I eat."

_Oh but I have every right, kitten_. "Yes." I agreed, steering her cart to the produce isle.

Women, it seems, feel the need to poke and prod there groceries before purchasing. Bella spent the better part of five minutes I will never get back, squeezing oranges. Just squeezing them. I had no fucking clue why. It wasn't even some sort of weak tit joke, like it would have been had one of the Pack spent even a second squeezing an orange before eating it. Shed make a tiny little noise of satisfaction, (which in my opinion made the whole useless fruit squeezing ritual worth it), and drop the orange into the bag, and that was that. Not a word, not a comment. Pick-up. Molest. Drop off. That orange had some how become a parody of fruit-prostitution.

"Apple?" I asked, tossing one of them into the air and catching it before offering it to her. She stared at it, blinkingly, for a moment before looking up at me. It never ceased to catch me off guard when she looked at me like that, all wide eyed and thoughtful, without the mask. But without the mask, the pain was obvious.

"No." She said shortly, turning away, "I hate them."

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

I pulled into the only hard ware store in Forks. It was a franchise place, owned by a man who didn't even live in Forks. Personally I preferred to pick up my supplies in Marquet, fifteen minutes north of the Rez. But Charlie had a tab here, cleared for my usage, and they gave him discount for being well...the Chief, so I couldn't blame the man.

"Bella!"

I turned on my heels to catch the sight of some kid sweeping my Bella into his arms. Bella laughed and patted his chest awkwardly, taking a short step back. To short for my liking. I subtly back tracked, lingering near her shoulder, doing my best to loom over the both of them.

"Hey Tyler." She said, grinning up at him. He was tallish, shorter then I, but then again who wasn't. With one look, I was sure I wouldn't like the kid. Kahki's and polo shirts just screamed _'fucking wanker'. _

Upon further inspection, I recognized the boy from First Beach, having seen him enough attempting to catch waves when the weather was warm enough for it. I was surprised, really, that I hadn't remembered him sooner. He was the only black kid in Forks.

"I haven't seen you since graduation! Are you living out of town now?" He exclaimed, holding Bella at arms length, examining her as if it had been much longer then one fucking month, since graduation.

Bella shifted from one foot to another in some sort of awkward, uncomfortable dance, expertly extricating herself out of his grip without my help. Good girl. "Ah, no. I'm still with my dad. I figured I just moved in with the man, I should give him some time before I run off, ya know?" She said evasively.

"Yeah yeah, scary man your dad." Tyler said, shaking his head, "Hasn't liked me much since the accident."

Bella laughed, still pointedly ignoring me, though I hadn't expected anything else. "As far as accidents go, that was pretty much a skip in the park. No blood, no stitches, no casts. I don't know what his problem was. I've hurt myself way worse on my own."

"I can tell. Whats with the cast?" Irritating friend of Bella asked, brushing his finger along her arm. The not casted one.

She stepped back, running that hand through her hair as if to give it something to do, other then be touched by little boys in polo shirts. "I fell down the stairs." Bella said with a self depreciating laugh, and I felt that this was the perfect time to insinuate myself into the conversation.

"Which is why we are here." I said over Bella's head, "I'm installing a hand rail for Bella. Charlie set up an account for the La Push crew to use while he was gone."

Tyler laughed, "Might as well add some bumper pads too the way Bella gets knocked around. I'm Tyler Crowley, by the way." He said, holding out his hand.

I took it in my own, shaking it more firmly then decorum probably advised, judging by his wince, "Paul White."

"And I'm Bella Swan." Bella inserted, obviously irritated. "Come on then, lets get to it." She said, eager to steer me away. She grabbed my hand , sending fire through my veins and straight to my cock. Well then, if hand touching caused erections, I wonder what we could make happen with a lap dance? Maybe imprinting did have it's benefits.

"Hey I thought you were with Black?" Tyler asked before Bella had a chance to escape, looking pointedly at our conjoined hands. Bella dropped my hand from hers so fast you had thought I'd burned her. Who knows? Maybe I did. I run pretty fucking hot these days. "Jacob Black, yeah? Thats what Mike said, anyway."

Bella snorted, "Yeah, Mike would tell you that. Cuz I told him we were. Kid can't take a fucking hint, he can barley read a damned billboard."

"You told him you were with Jacob to get him off your back?" Crowley asked. "This your boyfriend then? Got a thing for Indians, do ya? Or do you just like dark skinned guys" He asked with a grin, one brow raised. It was an obvious inquiry to Bella's status, and I half expected him to ask her what she was doing Friday night. I felt the forbidden shiver rush up my spine, and quickly placated myself with the solid fact that Bella was _my_ soul mate. He was not a threat.

Bella cut me off before I could raise a response, not that I was really sure what to say. Couldn't very well tell the kid I was her cosmic soul mate.

"No." Bella said curtly, "He's just the help."

Well. _Ouch. _Isn't that just a kick in the pride?

Bella carried her meager groceries into the house as I unloaded the my shit from the bed of Sams company truck. She could be heard slamming shit into cupboards even over my the low grind of my power drill. After dive minutes of listening to her bitch to herself over the slam of cupboard drawers, I gave up.

"Bella, shut the fuck up and get your white ass out here and help me!" I called from the upper landing. She appeared at the bottom of the stairs, sneering up at me. "Have I offended your delicate senses, of Princess of Forks? Or are you so eager to keep me around that your breaking the fucking cupboards to give me something to do?"

"Shut up." She huffed, "I'm just mad. Not everything is about you, you jack ass. What the fuck do you need anyway? Do your fucking job."

I shrugged, grinning easily down at her, "Well it should be all about me. Grab me the stud-finder, in the tool box."

She paused half way from reaching for the tool box, to look up at me in question, "Is that even real, or are you fucking with me?"

I laughed, "Seriously, it's a tool. Helps locate beams behind the wall. It's black and yellow with a round thing on the top and Bunch of buttons. Like a really heavy calculator. Yeah, that. Don't you dare fucking throw it at me." I warned her, as she drew back her arm.

"Hey!" She grunted indignantly, shuffling up the steps. "I'm bad at catching. Not throwing."

"How the fuck am I suppose to know? Can't have you breaking my nose or some shit." I said with a smile, snatching the stud finder out of her hands. "So what's got you pitching a bitch fit down there anyway?"

"Are you my therapist now too?" She wrinkled her nose up in distaste. "You really are a nosey fucking bastard."

"Hey, I'm just figuring out what kind or report I can take back to Billy. If you would prefer, 'ranted like a lunatic in the kitchen for twenty minutes' by all means, go back to what you were doing."

She glared down at me before sighing, moving to lean against the stair well, "That kid, the one from the hardware store. He's just...fuck he just doesn't get it."

I bit back the growl as I marked the first stud with a small x on the wall, "I don't know. He seemed like an alright guy. What's his problem?"

She groaned, shoving her hand into the pocket of her jeans, "This!" She breathed, thrusting a crumpled piece of paper into my fingers. "He slipped this to me when you were checking out. I think he was afraid of you or something."

_Ditch the Indian and go out with me this Friday. 360-652-5613_

Well all be fucking damned, he did ask her about Friday night. He better be afraid of me, the sneaky bastard. I crushed the paper further into my palm, and forced myself to be calm. To be reasonable. "He ain't your type then?" I rumbled, slamming the first mounting bracket into the wall with more force then was really necessary.

She slumped down on the step, taking the stud finer from my hand and setting it in her lap. "No. Not really. I mean, he's no better then Mike, they just don't take a fucking hint. They don't get that I don't date. This shit happens every time I see any of them."

I took comfort in the fact that this seemed to genuinely irritate her. Apparently Forks wasn't holding any standing competition in the way of Bella, "This because of Jake? Grab that drill gun, would you? It's on the bottom step."

She hopped down the steps grabbing the drill, before speaking, "No. There was never really anything romantic between Jacob and I."

"I'll set the screw, you screw it in." I said, holding the screw in place." Yeah, like that, don't stab me with the fucking thing though, or I swear to God, Bella, I'll _push_ your ass down the stairs."

"You do it then." She said, eyeing the support screw hesitantly, "I'll fuck it up."

I rolled my eyes, "How do you know? Do you install mounting brackets often? Have you a sparkily pink drill gun none of us know about?"

She glared, lifting the drill gun back up, and setting it to the screw. It jerked in her hand as she pulled the trigger. Grabbing her wrist, with my free hand, I steadied her, "There ya go. Look at you, working your first power tool."

"Oh shut up." She glowered, twitching back a smile. "Most people wouldn't trust me around power tools. Or tools in general. Edw---."She shut her eyes briefly, visibly re-canting her would-be word, "Some people think I'm to reckless."

I barked out a laugh, pointedly ignoring her obvious pang of emotional upheaval to spare her further embarrassment. Far be it for me to dwell on past leeches. She'd talk when she was ready, and I wouldn't get any where pushing. "Well I'm not handing you a band saw or anything. It's a fucking drill gun. Your a big girl. Your not going to break."

She looked down from her step above me, her face, for once, not masked in a fucked up sneer, or spouting off something mean and bitchy. She looked, well she looked speculative, if not a little confused. "Your right. I am a big girl, I'm not going to break. What do you need next?"

Once we finished installing the hand rail, Bella tucked herself away in her room while headed outside to fix the shutters on the front windows. There was no lack of snark, but her anger seemed to lose some of it's heat. Though I didn't know the cause, I wasn't one to look a gift-Bella in the mouth. I didn't know what she needed to get better. But I had the imprint and with that the revelation that maybe all she needed was me. All she needed was for me to be me, and thus far that was working. She'd calmed down if fractionally. And hey, I could be myself. Fuck, I was an expert on the subject.

I dropped my tool box on the walk way, rustling through silver tool chest in the truck bed for the belt sander and extension cord. Regardless of the flood of winds out of the north, Pacific summers could get hot. Add to the fact that I ran at a regular one-oh-nine, I was fucking roasting. I peeled of my sweaty t-shirt, long since grown accustom to bare skin no matter what the weather. I felt the sweat pour down my shoulder blades as I pried away rusted nails from the wooden shutters, slowly but surely freeing all four of the fuckers.

It was slow work in the summer heat, laying each shutter out on the tail gate, and sanding them smooth of the chipping yellow paint. I felt fucking gross, and I was sure I smelt rank, but sure enough two hours and half way through my work, I felt eyes on me, burning into my heated, sweaty back. I flipped off the sander, looking up to find Bella leaning against the house on the porch. I pulled off the stupid safety goggles, rubbing the bridge of my nose self consciously. "Whats up, kitten?" I asked, wondering how often I could get away with that little term of endearment.

She raised one thin brow, "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

I blinked. "What?"

"Food, dumb ass. Do you want dinner?" She said, clearly exasperated, and if I was being honest, I kind of deserved it. She phrased her fist question fine, I was just to fucking shocked to comprehend.

"I uh...yeah if you want me around." I said, standing up a little straighter. "I'm a mess." I said, gesturing to my sweaty, saw-dust speckled body.

Her eyes drifted south for a moment and I had to suppress the smug-ass smirk on my face. She bit her lip, eyes snapping back up, "Your fine...um, it's fine. We'll eat outside. Here." She said in a rush, tossing one of the two cans she was holding at me.

"Should you be drinking daddies beer?" I asked with a grin. She snapped the tab on her can, taking taking a long draw from it.

"He bought it for me." She said with a shrug. "If you don't want it, don't drink it."

I popped my own can open, inwardly sighing with relief as the cool fluid rushed through my body. "Chief Swan bought you beer?"

"Better that he buy it, and know that I am at home drinking it with the safety of these walls, then the questions it would raise were I caught some where with else drunk off my ass with a bunch of other minors." She explained with a shrug, disappearing behind the door.

I trained the beer, crunching the can and tossing it into the back of the truck. The shutters were sanded, drying with a fresh coat of paint when the thick scent of meat and smoke filled the air. I found Bella in the back yard standing over the grill flipping kabobs.

"Can you be trusted with propane?" I asked lightly, though I was sure my worry was obvious in my expression.

"It's charcoal, and I know what I am doing." She said, lowering the lid of the grill, "Go get washed up and grab me another beer. This shit's almost done. I'll meet you on the front porch in ten."

I scrubbed up in the bathroom quickly, washing away the dust and grime and cheery yellow paint chips, before grabbing two beers and heading for the porch. Bella was sitting on the swing, two plates in her lap, waiting.

"Here." She said, budging over to give me more room. I took the invitation, plopping into the seat beside her, where a plate was thrust unceremoniously into my hands. I dropped the beer in her lap with a grunt.

"Thanks."

She shrugged, "It's easier cooking for multiple people." She explained, pulling a grilled pepper off her skewer. I looked at her plate, and then back at mine with a laugh.

"You don't eat meat." I stated, more then asked, "You don't eat meat, but you cooked meat for me."

"Shut up." She growled, "It doesn't make you special. The meat was going to go bad if I didn't cook it."

I grinned wildly, "Mmhm. Thank you non the less."

She looked at me with her big brown eyes, her expression something I couldn't decipher. I wasn't all that good at reading emotions, and up until now Bella had only conveyed irritation, anger, and annoyance. But now, it was something else entirely, and I couldn't help but feel a little fucking uncomfortable under her calculating stare.

"Thank you, too, then." She said at length, after an uncomfortably long bout of silence.

I took a long drink from my beer, eyes still trained on Bella, not willing to sacrifice the weird moment of closeness, of intimacy not related to nakedness. "For what?" I asked, genuinely surprised by her sudden display of, albeit hesitant, gratitude.

"For letting me help you earlier." She said, leaning back in the swing to look up in the sky. The sun had disappeared behind the dense trees, stars peeking through the darkening sky. She continued to gaze up at the Pacific sky as she spoke, "I know what your doing. What your trying to do. Thank you."

Something in my chest, my heart most likely, flopped like a land-fish, sending anxiety induced adrenalin through my veins. "What was I trying to do?"

When she look at me this time, she was smiling. A real smile, or at least I thought so. I hadn't seen one on her face, so I really couldn't judge it. But the warmth in it had me inwardly gasping like a sentimental pussy, and I was profoundly shocked that she could look any more beautiful then she did when she was angry, but her smile was something else entirely.

"You're trying to take my mind of...things. But your not trying to distract me. Your just trying....to keep me from dwelling on shit. I think, anyways. Thats what it felt like. Like I didn't have to think about....any of it. Them. Jacob. All of it. You...you don't tip toe around me. I appreciate that."

I sat back in the swing, trying not to look smug, "Well, I can't say that I know what happened to you, or what your going through. But I think you just want shit to be the way it was, right? And it can't be if people treat you like your gonna break. Like I said, I don't know. But I think the only thing that's keeping you from forgetting is every body else fucking reminded you."

She was quiet for a long time after that, and I had to wonder if I said something wrong. There was nothing but the sound of crickets, and mosquitos, sounding louder then bugs have the fucking right too in the awkward silence. She stood abruptly, rocking the swing, quickly leaving the slamming screen door behind her. Panicking slightly, I wondered what the fuck I had done, but just as I made to follow her, she appeared at the door again, this time with a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses.

She fell back into the swing, quickly pouring out two shots. I could do nothing but follow suit as she tossed hers back.

With a heavy sigh, she broke the silence, "I think I fell in love with him the moment I saw him, but didn't know it. Edward Cullen, I mean. He fought me on it, at first. Fought himself. But...after he saved me from the van...things changed."

She didn't look at me, didn't make any motion or sound that she expected a response, simply took a moment to collect her thoughts. Had a response been expected, I don't even know what the fuck I would have said, because her sudden confession had caught me off my guard. Honestly, I though I'd have to black mail it out of her. And I wasn't really against that, in the end it would work out for both of us.

"You're very easy to talk to. I don't get that." She said, staring at the empty shot glass. "I've never been one for talking, and I'm pretty sure your a fucking jerk. But your a persistent jerk, I guess. But I don't...I don't get it. It makes me angry...that you can just...can just...I don't know. But I don't like it." _Well then your really going to fucking hate Imprinting, but your going to love _me.

Or, at least, I really fucking hoped so, because I already loved her. I loved her because I was suppose to. Because loving her was meant to be. I really thought I would fucking resent imprinting, I was sure of it, before. But now...I can see that loving Bella is just how it was suppose to be. It's right.

Now, explaining that shit to Bella without sounding like a fucking creeper? Not so easy, I imagine. Expecially if she was like me, and it seemed like she was. She would no doubt feel as if her options had been stripped away. So...I would just have to make her see I'm the only option worth considering. An easy feat, had she been any other girl. Oh fucking well, I love a goddamn challenge. And I had the cosmic-benefit that she was mythically tailored to serve me in all ways, and I her. God...I wanted to skip to the imprint sex. Imprint sex, dammit! I wanted that.

But I digress.....

"Maybe I am comfortable to talk to because I am a third party observer, or something. You know? I don't have any real ties to you. Or them. Or any one of importance."

"Mmmhm. Yeah, maybe." She laughed at a joke I must have missed, something only she seemed to know, "It was Jacob, you know. Jacob told me what the Cullens were. On accident, really, he was just telling a story. But...it made sense to me. It fit. I thought I was going crazy. But he saved me again, from the guys in the alley. Saved me and confessed...somewhat. Said he could hear voices. In peoples head. And I didn't think he was crazy, like any normal person would have. No...I believed him.

It wasn't much later that I confronted him. He didn't deny it. He tried to scare me, but I couldn't be scared. I was...I was so ensnared by him. I didn't care that he was a vampire. I loved him. He loved me to, I think. He tried to walk away...after saving me from the nomad Vampire, but I couldn't let him leave me, I couldn't let him go."

I hissed through my teeth, biting back a growl, "He saved your ass a lot." What the hell was she doing that she needed to be saved every fucking goddamn day. She obviously needed a better way to spend her damn time. I could think of plenty. I also had to wonder why vodka made me so fucking randy. Well...everything made me randy, but vodka expecially so.

She shrugged, "He did. Because he loved me, I think. But...something he couldn't save me from. Like himself."

Unknowingly, I had at some point, taken her hand in mine, tracing my thumb over her palm, and twice as unknowingly, she let me. I felt a little smug satisfaction knowing that she welcomed my small comforts, that I had made it to this step in only a matter of days. I mean, most imprints would be fucking now, but...I could work with this. This was something. And she didn't even know what was fucking going on. She was just....letting it happen.

"Did he bite you?"

"No." She said shortly, "James did, he was one of the nomads that tore through Forks a while back. Edward sucked the venom out. No...he never hurt me like that. But he couldn't help being a vampire and wanting me that way. The blood I mean. I was his...singer. My blood smelled better and just being near me was hell for him. But he endured. His brother...they really were a family, he had a gift. He felt emotions. All emotions I think. Love. Hate. Anger. And even blood lust.

It was my birthday. The big one-eight. I wasn't excited. I hated the idea that I was getting older and Edward wasn't. I...it was just a fucking paper cut! One little droplet of blood. But...they don't drink from humans, and while they are sustained they are left...wanting, I guess. Jasper freaked out and tried to drain me. It took both his father and his brother to hold him down and take him out. But he had to be freaking out, you know, because every one of them felt it. They all had to leave. And Jasper, he felt all of it, so of course he would fight harder to get it. To get me. I don't blame him for being what he is."

At this point, I would have liked to say that he was a fucking leech and that was enough reason to hate him. But I couldn't. Because she loved them, apparently, and I would respect that. If ever I had to give credit to a leech, it would be the Cullens. They respected the treaty, and they did there hardest to hurt no one. They were still fucking leeches, but the better of two evils right?

"It was too much for Edward. To much to handle. To much to worry about. He couldn't do it any more. In the end, I guess it wasn't worth it. I wasn't worth it. To him. And that hurt. Hurts. I _hurt _so bad. He left me. Not just him, they all did. Without ever saying good bye. And they said they loved me, and that we were family, and I never really had a family, and I still don't. And that hurts. But..." She sighed, a great big shuddering breath, "It just hurts so fucking much, and I am so angry. At every one, some times. I...can't move past it."

Her fingers nails were digging into my palm, the weight of her body tucked into my side, and though I was at perfect momentary harmony, she was at the point of revelation. "Who are you mad at the most?" I ventured, prying the Vodka bottle from her other hand, and setting it on the porch rail.

She growled, very much like the Kitten for which I had named her, "Edward. What a fucking tool. I loved him, and he loved me. Like...like a thing. Like a collectible. To be kept in it's original packaging, protected from all the world around it. I'm not a fucking goddamn doll!"

"So he sheltered you a bit, then." I said wryly, and she turned up to me with a glare, so familiar to the earlier animosity that I had to laugh.

"He...I wonder if maybe he only loved me because I was human. Because I was something to take care of. Something that _could_ break." She paused, looking up at me from the crook of my arm like she just noticed she was there, "I...your so comfortable."

"Go with it." I told her, "Ain't hurting shit, right?"

"I'm not hurting at all." She said with wide eyes. "It's been a long time since...I felt so...light. Even with Jacob....is it you?" She asked, as if she might already know the answer.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, confused by the sharp intake of breath, "Do you trust me?" I repeated, pulling her up from the wing. "Hop on."

She broke out into a smile, a hysterical little laugh escaping her lips, "Are you...are you fucking with me? Do you know more then you say you do? Obviously you do. Are you fucking with me?" She asked again, clutching her ribs with her casted arm with painful laughter.

I hadn't really had the chance to hear her laugh, like this, but I liked it. I wanted to keep her laughing, even if it was obviously at my expense. "I assure you, Bella, I have no idea what you find so fucking funny."

She grinned, "Edward....Edward said the same fucking thing, right before he ran through the forest with me on his back."

Loath though I was to be compared to that fucker, I could see why she found this amusing. Never one to be upstaged by a leech, I grabbed Bella, and threw her over my shoulder, "And that is where the comparison between Cullen and myself ends, thank you very much."

She squeaked, scrambling for purchase, her fingers digging into the flesh of my back, "What the fuck are you doing, Paul?"

"We are going for a little run. I suggest you hang on." I said with a chuckle, which, unfortunately was broken with an undignified man-squawk when her hands slipped into my back pockets, and grabbed my ass.

"There." She said, with a smug smile I may not have been able to see, but I could hear clear as fucking day, "I'm holding on."

"You little shit." I muttered, jostling her a bit more then was necessary, as we slipped around the house and towards the tree line. I felt Bella tense in my arms, and sighed.

"Where...where are you taking me Paul? Put me down. This isn't funny. We're not going in there. There is nothing in there." She babbled, slapping the small of my back.

I pulled her off my shoulder, letting her legs fall to my hips and adjusting my hold to the bend of her knees. "Look at me. I am not going to hurt you. Ever. Trust me. There are answers in these woods. Trust me?"

And for the first time, I felt the flux of the imprint, like a warm, living thing inside me. Bella bit her lip, eye lashes fluttering, her face so close to mine I could have kissed her. I wanted to kiss her. "I...I trust you. Don't hurt me."

"Never." I said, ignoring the blaring mushy moment we were having, to revel in the feel of Bella's legs wrapped around me. Yeah, I was an ass. "Now, hold the fuck on. This will be...bumpy."

She squeaked again as I took of into a sprint through the forest, her head buried in my chest. The tree's whipped past us in a blur at inhuman speed, and I could feel Bella's rapidly beating heart against my chest, the murmur of random expletives escaping her lips against my skin. She was scared, I could smell it in her sweat, scared to death of me, of this, of what ever. But it had to be done, she needed closure. I needed her, and she needed closure, and if I had to force her to say good bye to them I would. It was just time for her to move the fuck on.

I felt regular rush of foreboding as I broke through the Cullen Boarder. There were no vampires here, and we were free to come and go as we please. I set her to the ground, spinning her on her feet to face the big white house. The Cullens scents still lingered weakly after all this time, dulled by the morning rain.

"No!" She spat, tearing herself out of my grip, "Your...your not human. Fuck. Why did you bring me here? What the fuck are you? Can I have no one human in my life? Don't I fucking deserve that?"

"I..." I began, but didn't know how to finish, because it was true, and it hurt. She did deserve normal, something normal and real and not full of mythical beasts.

"I don't have anything in my life that is normal! I have Charlie. And I had Jacob. How. I'm trying so hard to get better, to feel better, but now Charlie is gone and Jacob is...Jacob is...."

The fluttery thing in my chest returned, and I knew this was the moment I needed to tell her She had opened up, for what ever fucking reasons, she had trusted me enough to tell me, and I had to belive she would trust me enough to believe me. This would be the turning point in a relationship that I normally avoided.

"Jacob is a werewolf." I finished for her, watching her eyes widen, "I said I'd answer your questions when you answered mine, and you did. You have to trust me, Bella, you have to belive me. Jacob is a werewolf. That's why he grew so fast Bella, and thats why he was hot to the touch. He was probably really irritated to, and ate like a fucking beast. He's a werewolf, and so am I. And so is Sam. And Embry, and Quil, and Jared, and we are expecting a few more from the looks of it."

"Werewolf." Bella repeated,blinking up at me. "Werewolf. Jacob. Jacob is a werewolf. The Cold ones! The legends. The legends were true? Fuck! Of course they were true, the Cullens were the Cold Ones....Jacob said...your ancestors...."She continued, "Oh my God. Jacob is a werewolf."

"And so am I." I pointed out, wondering how much Bella had drank. My count was two beers, and two shots, and who knew what kind of light weight she was. Maybe she always rambled like an idiot when she was under emotional stress. I don't know. I don't do _emotional stress._

"But why does Jacob hate me?" She blurted out, leaning forward, her eyes big and bright with new, un-fallen tears.

Throwing all hesitance out the door, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into me, "You belive me, just like that?" I asked with a chuckle.

She shrugged, chocking on her own watery laugh, "Why shouldn't I? If I can believe vampires, I think I can believe in werewolves. I...I want to believe you. I do, I think. I guess it fits. Its some sort of weird Quillette puberty thing, right?"

I snorted, laying my cheek on her head, willing to take every and all kinds of contact she would allow in her weakened state. I was a man of few scruples, so fucking sue me. "Yeah it's a Quillette puberty thing. And Jacob doesn't hate you, Bella. He's just an idiot. He...the change we go through, when we become werewolves, is triggered by Vampires, Bella. He's angry at the Cullens, and you for loving them. It's ignorant, and he will come around, just give him time."

Breathing deeply "Why are we here? Why did you bring me here?"

Turning her again, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders pinning her in place, "To say good bye, Bella. This house, this is what is left of the Cullens here. Say...say anything you want to say to them. Just say good bye."

She swallowed, her throat working in quick gulps, "I...I don't know what to say."

I squeezed her lightly, because the press of her body against mine was almost to much, and the fucking fact that she was letting me, even though she had screamed at me only earlier. "This house is Edward Cullen."

Her shoulders tense, and she turned her head to look up at me, hands absently holding my fore arms, where they were wrapped around her. I watched her close her eyes, and turn back to the house, and say the six words that shocked the biggest hell out of me.

"I don't love you Edward Cullen." She whispered, releasing a breath I wasn't sure she knew she was holding, "I don't love you, Edward Cullen!" She screamed. "I hate you. I fucking hate you. I hate that you left me, I hate that you took them with you. I hate that I ever fucking loved you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" She struggled against my hold, "Let me go, Paul! Let me go!" She growled, and I couldn't help but obey.

She stumbled forward, hands hitting the dirt before standing again, and I had to let her, even though I didn't want to. I wanted to gather her back into my arms and hold her because she was kind of fucking scaring me.

"I hate your stupid Volvo, and your stupid piano!" She screamed again, stepping closer to the house, "I hate your stupid act. I hate your stupid big white house!" This was punctuated by the cock of her arm, and the sudden breaking of glass as a rock I hadn't noticed she was holding, went through there front bay window. "But really, I just hate you! Your a liar, to myself, to your family. But mostly to yourself."

She turned back to me, watery eyed, blushing, "I...I feel better."

"I would hope so." I said, pulling her into my arms, where she went, Gods be thanks, willingly and of her own accord, "See? You never got the chance to say good bye, and I think that hurt."

"Yeah. Thank you." She sighed again, wiping away an errant tear, "Werewolves, huh. You know, I might be drunk to be dreaming this."

I hesitated, if only for a moment, before saying fuck all, and extricating myself from the swing, "I'll prove it."

"Prove what?" She asked sleepily.

"That I'm a werewolf, Bella. Keep up."I said, stepping back from her. "Come on, lets go inside and do this."

"Alright, Mr. White," She said, taking her own step back, and crossing her arms over her chest. , "Show me your a werewolf."

I grinned, kicking off my shoes, and popped the button on my cut-offs. Bella's eyes widened comically, and she shot straight up, arms falling to her sides, "What are you doing?"

"I have to get naked. Otherwise, I'll shred my clothes." I explained patiently, as if I were talking to a small child and not a possibly half-drunk girl.

"Uh...okay. I'll cover my eyes, then." She said, holding her hand over her face.

"Oh by all means, watch." I said with a leer, "I've got nothing I don't want you to see."

She glared, before returning her hand to her eyes. I shook out my limbs, waiting for that familiar tingle to over take me, to fill me, to change me.

Nothing came.

"Fuck."

Bella's head snapped up, hand dropping, eyes widening, blush rising all in quick succession, "Oh sorry!" She squeaked, burying her head in her hands again, "What's wrong?"

I growled, "Performance anxiety." To which she giggled, and I growled again, "Hush you. I'm too calm...it's you. I'm to calm around you. I can't phase around you. I...I don't want to hurt you."

"Could you? Is that...should we be worried?"

This time my growl was louder, deeper, "No!" I snapped, "No. I could never hurt _you _Bella. I just...I have to get mad."

Bella squirmed in her seat, "Jacob kissed me. On the beach that day. The day I met you. I didn't want him too, but he did it anyway."

How did she even know that would make me mad? "That would do it." I managed to growl out, before my skin shivered sending me to all fours in a wave of skin and fur. Bella's gasp echoed in the silence, and I found myself look up at her from the living room floor.

"Oh my fucking god." Bella said, mouth hanging open in shock, but I couldn't concentrate on her.

_"What are you doing, Paul?_" That would be Sam.

_"Where's Bella?" _That would be Jacob. His concern was noted,and pointedly unwanted. He couldn't be an ass to Bella and then be concerned. Why the fuck was he concerned?

_"Where are you?"_ Embry asked, sifting through my more current thoughts. The collective gasp made me shiver.

_"You can't be there..."_

_"EVERY BODY QUIET!"_ Sam growled, causing me to wince involuntarily. Bella stepped forward, hand stretched out, and I butted it with my nose, causing her to laugh.

_"Get Bella to the Rez, Paul. Jacob and Jared caught wind of a leech. Your not safe._"

_"I can protect my imprint."_ I growled, causing Bella to snatch her hand back, pulling me up short. "I can protect Bella." I said more gently, nuzzling Bella in the stomach. She giggled, of course, like the girl that she was.

_"Do as I say, damn it. Some one will meet you."_ Sam said, phasing out. I felt the pull if the injunction as the rest of the pack followed suit, leaving one voice in my head other then my own.

_"Jacob."_ I said stiffly, letting Bella's break down flit through my mind.

_"Tell her...tell her I'm sorry."_ He muttered, before phasing out.

I phased back, quickly pulling on my clothes. Bella was silent, clearly contemplating all that she had just saw. That was fine and fucking dandy, but we needed to bolt.

"Come on, we need to go." I said, hooking her behind the knee and shoulders, and pulling her up into my arms bridal-style.

"Jesus!" She hissed, "What's wrong?"

"The pack caught sent of a leech, they want you on the Rez, your safest the---"

"Bella."

"Paul!" Bella snapped, glaring up at me from the ground where I had dropped her. She stood up, turning back to the house, "Edward."

"Oh Bella..." He breathed, and I growled, pulling Bella into the circle of my arms. "What are you doing, dog? Your not allowed to be on Cullen land."

_Protecting my imprint, you fuck head! _"And your suppose to inform us should you return to Forks." I growled, "So, eye for an eye and all that."

"You imprinted on Bella?" He asked, as if I hadn't spoken. Fuck, I had forgotten Bella said this one could read minds. His hands splintered the porch railing where he held it. "You...when?"

"Less then a week, if it's any of your business, which it isn't. What are you doing here? Why did you come back?"I snapped, feeling Bella's hand like a vice on my own, the little trembles of her keeping me calm. I needed to stay calm, I couldn't hurt Bella.

"That would explain it," He said, mostly to himself, "Bella...Alice...she lost you. She couldn't see you any more. She thought...she thought you died."

I felt Bella's head snapped up, hitting my chest, "Keeping tabs on me, huh? Typical, Edward. So you came back because you thought I was dead?"

"I..." He paused, "I had to be sure."

"Why?" I asked, smoothing my thumb along Bella's collar bone, "Shh. It's okay." I murmured, feeling her body melt into mine, "It's okay. You said your good byes."

"Because if she was dead, I'd--" Cullen didn't get the chance to continue, before Bella cut him off.

"No." She said darkly, "No. You don't have the right to die because I do. You don't have the right to care that much. You left your rights in the woods where you left me, you stupid prick. I don't want you here. I don't....' Her voice broke, "I don't love you any more."

His face contorted in pain, "That's the imprint, Bella. Don't...don't listen to his lies. You don't have to be with him, no matter what he told you. You can leave him, Bella. You don't have to love him."

"I didn't tell her about the imprint, jack ass." I snapped, before Bella could say anything, "I wanted to give her a choice. Just like you didn't when you left her in the woods." I replayed the images that Sam had distilled in us when he found her through my mind, smiling as he winced.

"What's imprinting?" Bella asked, "Quit ignoring me you stupid ass holes." She grumbled, turning to look up at me, "Is this a werewolf thing?"

"You know he's werewolf?" Cullen asked, the surprise in his voice obviously genuine.

"And I knew you were a vampire but that didn't stop me did it?" She snapped back, "So what if Paul is a werewolf. So what if Jacob is a werewolf. I don't care. At least they aren't in constant danger of eating me."

I wanted desperately to point out the several flaws in that statement such as they were in no danger, Bella was the one in danger. And too that certain parts of me wanted to eat her very badly, but perhaps not in the capticity she meant.

"Your disgusting." Cullen mumbled, and I had to grin. Fucking pansy.

"Hello! Imprinting. What the fuck is it?" Bella demanded.

"Bella..." I began, unsure of how to explain. This wasn't exactly the circumstances I had pictured.

"It's when a werewolf chooses it's mate." Cullen provided clinically, "The perfect body in which to produce the strongest offspring. A bitch, Bella, that's all you are to him."

"Oh shut up Edward, your the bitch." She groaned, "Paul? Is that true?"

"Partially," I replied honestly, "But it's more then that. It's the perfect mate. The other half of the wolf, and I did imprint on you. Thats why you feel so comfortable talking to me. Thats why...thats why you were confused at first, I think. You wanted to be mad at me, but you didn't. It's...you are perfect for me in body yes, but you are more perfect in mind. I'm an ass hole, Bella, and your a bitch. We'd be perfect together, if thats what you wanted. I already love you, from the second I saw you. Right before you kicked me in the nuts, actually. Not because the imprint makes me, but because I know that you're right for me."

She blinked, obviously wanting to call bull shit, "Like soul-mates?"

Hesitantly, I nodded, "Yes."

To my blatant surprise, she grinned, "You're not my soul mate, Edward."

"What?" He said sharply, "Your just going to believe him?"

"Yes. Just like I just believed you." Shes aid shortly, "I am far to trusting, I know. But you know what else? I do feel comfortable with him. And he doesn't treat me like a fucking idiot."

I laughed, pulling her back up into my arms. "It was the power-tools wasn't it?"

"It was, actually. No one else would hand me a drill gun on a flight of stairs and tell me to go at it." She said, ignoring Edward entirely. "I don't know about this imprinting shit, Paul, but your an okay guy."

A little bit of hope shriveled up inside me but I held on, "Actually, I'm an ass hole. But thats fine. Thats good enough for me. I can work with that, if you let me."

She shrugged, "We'll see. Just because of this soul-mate thing, doesn't mean I'll be on my back in your bed tomorrow."

Well fuck. That put a damper on my plans, and I couldn't help but say as much "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah. I'm sure." She said, "Let's go. There's nothing here for men any more."

"Bella..." Cullen said, stepping down from the porch. I growled, hugging Bella tightly against me. "I'll....I'll take you back to the family They miss you, Bella.

"You should have thought about that before you left me." She asked lightly, "It sucks to be left out in the woods, doesn't it? You wanted me to live a normal life, grow up, get married and have babies. Consider this me taking your advice. "

While a greater part of me was mortified of the thought of marriage and children, a small part of me was thrilled she'd consider it. Not for a very, very long time of course. I figured we could shack up in sin for a few years and fuck like bunnies.

"I didn't mean with a werewolf!" He snapped, annoyed. "And a....such a disgusting one at that. He...the things he thinks Bella...it's no way to respect a woman."

Bella rolled her eyes, "If your remember correctly, I never wanted to be respected. I wanted to be fucked. Even if he's jumping the gun a bit, Pauls got the right idea."

"I do?"

"You do. Now let's go."

_It sucks to be left in the woods, doesn't it, Cullen?_

* * *

**A/N So I was thinking about leaving it here and being done with it, but I think I might write one more chapter about Bella and Jacob making up. And of course, Bella and Pauls budding relationship. It will actually be a sequel to this story, and not a follow up chapter. But there will be more. Eventually. This is the end of Foreign Territory. The following (which I have some written) will be called The Taming Of The Shrew ( like chapter one). So hit that Author Alert button! When I post the sequel I will add an A/N to this story too, so all yall will know. It's been fun. Now it's time to end Alpha Fail and work on Once Bitten. Knuckle Bump!**


End file.
